Containers for fingernail enamel



2 Sheets-Shree?. l

April 4, 1967 F. F. BUCHWALTER ETAL CONTAINERS FOR FINGERNAIL ENAMEL Filed Feb. 8, 1965 United States Patent Office 3,311,941 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 3,311,941 CONTAINERS FOR FINGERNAIL ENAMEL Francis F. Buchwalter, New Rochelle, Norman L. Greif,

North Woodmere, and Albert Skolnilr, Merrick, N.Y.,

and James J. Baker, Darien, Conn., assignors to Revlon, Inc., New York, N .Y.

Filed Feb. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 430,827 12 Claims. (Cl. iis-51e) This invention relates to dispensing containers for fingernail enamel and like heavily pigmented materials and, more particularly, to such dispensing containers having both a built-in agitating device and a dispensing well for metering and controlling the amount of enamel and depth thereof -to be applied to a brush each time the brush is dipped into the container and regardless of variations of the level of the enamel therein.

As is well understood in this art, a conventional and recurring problem is generally encountered with compositions such as colored or pigmented fingernail enamel or lacquer because of the tendency for the suspended pigment to settle out in the bottle or container during storage before the bottle is purchased and/or even between uses or applications by the purchaser or user. Because of the particular nature and characteristics of the pigments and vehicles conventionally used for fingernail enamels, it may be quite difficult to redisperse the pigments, once they are settled out of the liquid suspension, and such diiculty is particularly aggravated in the case of so-called pearlescent enamels where the pearlescence is achieved by including in the composition suspended fish scale materials of fairly large particle size.

Indeed, the difficulty of redispersing settled out pigments in fingernail enamel bottles has heretofore exercised quite substantial and, in some cases, controlling limitations on the size and shape of the bottles in which such materials are commonly packaged and sold. For example, with many formulations, violent shaking of the bottle before each use is not sufficient completely to redisperse the settled out pigment, even when aided by such expedients as including steel shot in the bottle so that it acts somewhat as a miniature ball mill. For the same reasons, and because of this same difficulty, it may generally be believed that only about two-thirds of the enamel included in :a bottle will be used before the settling out of pigment presents such a problem to the user that she throws the remainder away and replaces it with a new bottle; and the sa-me difficulty generally indicates that virtually all nail enamels are packaged and sold in small bottles of conventionally frustro-conical shape or, at least, with the width of the bottle decreasing from the bottomL toward the top to avoid inwardly protruding or inwardly extending lower side Wall surfaces on which settling of the pigment is accentuated.

Also as well understood, there is another peculiarity of pigmented fingernail enamels and lacquers arising out of both the formulation thereof and the desired manner of use, especially by the average woman without the particular skill or training of a professional manicurist. This peculiarity relates to the fact that the enamel formulations and the applicator brush therefor are particularly designed so that one dip of the brush into the enamel 'should accumulate thereon enough enamel to cover five (or sometimes ten) fingernails evenly or uniformly. To this end and for proper flow control of the enamel through and from the applying brush and the lower portion of the handle thereof which is also dipped into the enamel, a predetermined length or depth of brush and handle should be submerged into the enamel when the brush is dipped into the bottle.

Perhaps not so much for quantity control as for flow rate control from the brush, such uniformity of dip level may be quite important for securing the desired results, in the sense that too little enamel on the brush may produce a ow rate fr-om the brush giving too thin a coating of enamel on the fingernails, while too great a quantity on the brush may produce too great a flow when the brush is applied to the nails for the desired coverage and uniformity. Obviously, the liquid level inside the bottle, whatever shape the bottle may be, decreases gradually with repeated use, thereby inducing the situation where not only a variation in color or intensity but also a variation in the ease or uniformity of application may occur to varying and more or less unpredictable degrees each successive time the particular bottle of nail enamel is used and in a manner which, of course, may be quite annoying or frustrating to the ordinary user who is not a professional manicurist.

All of the various foregoing factors, as will be understood, exercise substantial limitations on both the size and shape of fingernail enamel bottles, thus presenting a situation which is both extremely unusual and undesired, particularly in the cosmetic industry where the commercial success in merchandising various cosmetic products is widely believed to depend to a large extent upon the individuality and particular design or configuration of the packaging in which cosmetic products are sold. 'It is further undesirable from the point of view of the user if such factors similarly indicate or dictate that as much as one-third of the total quantity of material in the bottle will be useless or thrown away prior to use.

According to this invention, however, such factors are accommodated and such diiculties alleviated by providing containers (which may be of virtually any desired shape, height, and capacity) which include built-in agitating devices for redispersing settled out pigment (preferably, arranged to be automatically operated by the user merely as she unscrews the bottle cap) and automatically fillable metering or dispensing wells into which the applicator brush is dipped to control and provide on the brush at each dipping thereof a metered or predetermined depth or quantity of enamel regardless of the extent to which the container may be full or partially empty, and further providing the advantage of isolating the brush itself from the main body of enamel to avoid particularly the settling out of excess pigment on the brush itself with concomitant non-uniformity of color or intensity of the enamel applied to or by the brush at each successive dip thereof.

With the foregoing and additional objects in view, this invention will now be described in more detail and other Iobjects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fingernail enamel bottle or container embodying and for practicing this invention;

FIG. 2 is an axial section view of the container of FIG. 1 along the line 2 2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section along the line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an axial section similar to FIG. 2 but showing the agitator device in a different angular position and showing the stopper unscrewed and ready to be removed;

FIG. 6 is an axial section similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a different shape of bottle and agitator; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective and partially exploded view of the agitator and dispensing well portions of the apparatus of FIG. l.

Referring to the drawings, in which like .reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views thereof, there is illustrated, particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fingernail enamel container embodying and for practicing this invention as including a glass bottle having a plastic top 11 with a threaded neck portion 12 affixed thereto to receive a screw top or cap 15 carrying an applicator brush 16 having a shaft 17 inserted into a central socket 18 inside cap 15, all in more or less known and conventional manner.

A rotatable agitator arrangement (particularly illustrated in FIG. 7) is inserted within bottle 10 and carried by neck 12 of top 11 by a bearing portion 20 inserted through neck 12 and held vertically but rotatably in place there as by two bearing flanges or collars 21 and 22. Below bearing portion 2G (which is hollow as shown) and below collar 22 is an integral hollow shaft portion 23 to which is eccentrically affixed an agitator 25, shown in the illustrated embodiment as generally having a shape defined by the shape of the bottle 10 and including a bottom blade 26. Thus, upon rotation `of bearing member and hollow shaft 23, agitator 25 is rotated within bottle 10, and the shape of the agitator and its bottom blade 26 is specifically arranged so as to sweep around the inside of bottle 10 and the bottom thereof for agitating and mixing and redispersing any amounts of pigment which may have settled out of the enamel in bottle 10.

As a means for readily effecting such rotation of the agitator 25, there is provided a non-round extension 30 integral with bearing portion 20 and hollow shaft 23 and positioned above `the top of neck 12 for interfittin'g or keyed driving engagement with cap 15 (as indicated particularly in FIGS.- 3 and 7). In this manner, rotation of cap 15 (even merely in the process of unscrewing it for removal) automatically rotates agitator 25 inside the bottle. The height of extension 30 is sufficiently great so that it is still in driving engagement with the inside of cap 15 even when the cap is completely unscrewed above the threads on neck 12 (see FIG. 5) so that any amount of agitation desired is readily provided merely by unscrewing cap 15 and continuing to rotate it and agitator 25, after which the cap (including brush 16) is withdrawn through the hollow shaft 23, hollow bearing member 20, and the hollow extension 30 of the agitator arrangement.

As will be understood from the foregoing, agitator 25 and blade 26 thereof are preferably molds from plastic materials with sufficient resiliency to permit insertion of the device through the small top of bottle 10. Similarly, although a variety of methods are available for keying extension 30 into driving engagement with the inside of cap 15, the provision -of a hexagonal extension 30 interfitting with a similar hexagonal interior socket of cap 15 is preferred as permitting the desired driving engagement while still allowing the diameter of central opening 31 in extension 30 to be as large as possible for the convenient reinsertion of brush 16 therethrough.

Also depending from hollow shaft 23 is a metering and dispensing well 35, having a filling Iopening or hole 36. In this manner, and with the cap 15 in place, the device generally as shown in FIG. 2, merely inverting the entire container permits nail enamel to flow into dispensing well 35 through filling hole 36 to form a metered quantity of enamel for application to brush 16 and shaft 17 thereof. As -will be understood from the foregoing, the size and capacity of dispensing well 35- and the distance from the bottom thereof of filling opening 36 are selected and provided automatically to meter or control the amount and depth of enamel applied to brush 16 in -dispensing well 35 and more or less independently of the continuously diminishing level or quantity of enamel within bottle 10 as it gets progressively used up. Since generally filling opening 36 is above the original level of enamel in bottle 10, clogging of the opening by settling pigment is eliminated, while communication is maintained with the solvent vapors in bottle 10 to prevent drying of enamel on brush 16 when the brush is replaced between uses.

Not only does dispensing well 35 provide for uniform metering of enamel onto brush 16 at each use thereof, but

it also cooperates with agitator 25 to produce additional advantages promoting the desired uniformity of application of enamel each time it is used. Thus, without dispensing well 35, brush 16 and shaft 17 therefor normally rest in the closed container at precisely the laxial center line thereof and, consequently, at the particular point therein at which any stirring or agitation by a peripherally rotating agitator is at a minimum. If, then, brush 16 were directly immersed in the main quantity of enamel in bottle 10, utilization of an agitator such as 25 would indeed aid in the redispersion of pigment which settled out of the enamel onto the bottom and the sides of the bottle, but would have virtually no effect on pigment which settled out on the brush, thus leaving a situation where the pigment content of the brush would vary from application to application, an-d particularly between the rst application and any subsequent ones because of the settling which occurs during a long period of shelf-like after packaging and before the first use of the enamel.

Accordingly, the provision of dispensing well 35 not only meters and controls the appropriate amount of enamel to be applied to the brush at each use, but also eliminates the additional disadvantage of excessive settling of pigment on the brush even to an extent which may not be completely correctible by the agitator alone, or by any construction -of a rotatable agitator which, obviously, cannot provide great agitation immediately adjacent brush 16. As will be apparent from the foregoing, the internal capacity of dispensing well 35 is also preferably selected so as to hold substantially no more than the particular amount of enamel which is to be applied and Withdrawn on a single dipping of brush 16 and shaft 17 therefor. Thus, little or no enamel remains in well 35 after removal of the brush, thereby substantially eliminating any problems which might arise from settling of pigment from residual quantities of enamel remaining in well 35, any of which residual amounts will be substantially the same from application to application, thereby cancelling out possible non-uniform situations from one application of enamel to the next and virtually independently of the amount of time the bottle may rest unused or motionless between applications.

As noted above, this invention permits the utilization of a variety of different shapes of containers, as may be desired in merchandising cosmetics, without the restrictions generally imposed by the settling and other difficulties noted above. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, for example, is a form of container which would not be preferred with a conventional bottle because of the inwardly slanting lower portions of the bottle walls, With this embodiment, a differently shaped bottle 40 is shown, in place of the bottle 10, with other parts being the same, indicating the versatile application of this invention to any shape of bottle. The agitator is shown with two side blades 41 and a lower blade 42, and is configured generally to conform to the shape of bottle 40 and particularly to sweep or scrape off interior surfaces thereof pigment which may ten-d to settle thereon. In this arrangement, the agitator 41-42 is driven for rotation from shaft 43 depending from the bottom of dispensing well 35 and driven initially, as with the arrangement of FIG. 2, by rotating cap 15. Also, as will be noted and understood from the foregoing, despite the greater height of bottle 40 and/ or depth of enamel contained therein, dispensing well 35 still meters and controls the application of enamel to brush 16 for the desired depth of dip automatically and independently of either the skill of the user or the level of enamel within the container.

Accordingly, there is provided in accordance herewith containers for fingernail enamel or lacquer having agitators therein disposed in the manner to be automatically operated when unscrewing the cap or otherwise as an aid to redispersing pigment which may settle out from the enamel, as well as having metering or dispersing wells for controlling accurately the depth of enamel applied to the brush each time it is used and regardless of the differing levels of enamels in the container, while also cooperating with the agitating mechanism for complete and reproducible uniformity regarding pigment which may settle out onrthe application brush itself, etc. Such devices are readily and inexpensively formed from plastic materials and, indeed, in virtually unitary fashion for insertion into standard or conventional bottles or containers. The agitating and dispensing mechanism itself exercises virtually no control or restriction on the size or shape of the bottle or container and, indeed, eliminates restrictions heretofore imposed upon the shape and depth of fingernail enamel bottles because of the peculiar characteristics of fingernail enamel and the desirability of obtaining a certain quantity or depth of enamel on the brush for each use or application thereof.

While the forms of apparatus herein `disclosed represent preferred embodiments of this invention, this invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of this invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. In container apparatus of the character described for holding fingernail enamel having a readily settling material suspended therein and for dispensing the correct amount of said enamel in its proper suspended form upon a brush inserted therein, the combinationwhich comprises an open-topped first container for holding said enamel with a neck extending from the opening thereof, a second tube-like dispensing container disposed therein and rotatably journaled in said neck, said second container extending from just above the bottom of said first container to beyond the end of said neck and having an opening providing flow communication Ibetween said containers at a point therealong above the liquid level of said first container, a scraper blade connected to and extending from said second container and shaped to follow the configuration of the sides of said first container for movement therealong upon rotation of said second container for scraping therefrom said suspended materials and said enamel, an agitator connected to and extending from said scraper blade adjacent the bottom of said first container for movement upon rotation of said second container for agitating said suspended materials in said enamel, and means disposed upon said second container adjacent said neck preventing axial movement therebetween, a closure cap for said containers, an applicator brush depending from said cap, and cooperating means on said cap and the top of said second container whereby rotating said cap rotates said second container with said agitating m'eans thereon.

2. ln container apparatus of the character described for holding fingernail enamel having a readily settling material suspended therein and yfor dispensing the correct amount of said enamel in its proper suspended form upon a brush inserted therein, the combination which comprises an open-topped first container for holding said enamel with a neck extending from the opening thereof, and a second tube-like dispensing container disposed therein and rotatably journaled in said neck, said second container extending from just above the bottom of said first container to beyond the end of `said neck and having an opening providing flow communication between said containers at a point therealong above the liquid level of said first container, agitator means connected to and extending from said second container to the periphery of said first container for movement therearound upon rotation of said second container thereby agitating said suspended materials in said enamel, means disposed upon said second container adjacent said neck preventing axial ymovement therebetween, a closure cap for said containers, an applicator brush depending from said cap, `and cooperating means on said cap and the top of said second container whereby rotating said cap rotates said second container with said agitating means thereon.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which said agitator means includes a doctor blade connected to and extending from said second container and shaped to follow the configuration of the sides of said first container for movement therealong upon rotation of said second container for scraping therefrom said suspended materials and said enamel.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 in which said means preventing axial movement between said neck and said second container includes two collars fixedly disposed on said container adjacent said neck, one being disposed irnmediately above said neck preventing axial displacement of said second -container into said neck, and one being disposed immediately below said neck preventing axial displacement of said second container out of said neck.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said second container is the size necessary for holding only the desired portion of enamel and material suspended therein for dispensing at any one time on said brush inserted therein.

6. In a dispensing apparatus of the character described for depositing on an object inserted therein a measured quantity of liquid material having a readily settling material evenly suspended therein, the combination which comprises an open-topped first container for holding said materials with a neck having a screw thread around the outside thereof, an elongated applicator for insertion into said -container having integral therewith at one end thereof a screw cap closure for cooperation with said screw thread, a second container disposed in said first container and having an opening therein providing flow communicati-on between said first and second containers above the liquid level of said first container, an elongated hollow bearing member -on said second container and rotatably journaled in said neck, means on said bearing member for preventing axial displacement there-of in said neck, a portion of said bearing member being insertable into said cap for working engagement therewith when said cap is in place, and agitator means connected to said bearing member and extending radially therefrom toward the side of said first container for agitation of said materials therein upon turning of said screw cap and said bearing member engaged therewith.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 in which said agitator means includes a doctor blade connected to and extending from said bearing member and shaped to follow the configuration of the sides of said first container for movement therealong upon rotation of said screw cap and said bearing member.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 in which said means preventing axial movement between said neck and said bearing member includes two collars xedly disposed on said bearing member adjacent said neck, one being positioned immediately above said neck preventing axial displacement of said member into said neck, and one being positioned immediately below said neck preventing axial displacement of said member out of said neck.

9. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 in which said second container is the size necessary for holding only the desired portion of said liquid material with said suspended rnaterial therein for disposal on said inserted object at any one time.

10. In a nail enamel dispensing apparatus of the character described for depositing on a brush inserted therein a measured quantity Vof liquid enamel having a readily settling pigment material suspended therein, the combination which comprises an open-topped first container for holding said enamel with a neck having a screw thread therearound, an elongated brush holder for insertion into said container having integral therewith at one end thereof a screw cap closure for cooperation with said screw thread, said screw cap having an internal socket surrounding said brush-holder with a non-circular cross section, a second container disposed in said first container and having an opening providing ow communication between said first and second containers above the liquid level of said first container, an elongated hollow bearing member integral with said second container and rotatably journaled on said neck and having means preventing axial displacement thereof in said neck, an extension disposed on said bearing member on the end thereof opposite said second container and extending above said neck, said extension having an exterior non-circular cross section for driving engagement with 'said internal socket in said cap, a doctor blade connected to and extending from said bearing member and being shaped to follow the configuration of the sides of said rst container for movement therealong upon rotation of said extension by said screw cap thereby scraping from the sides of said second container 'said suspended materials and said enamel, and an agitator connected to and extending from said doctor blade adjacent the bottom of said first container -for movement upon rotation of said extension by said cooperating screw cap for agitating said suspended materials and said enamel.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 10 in which said second container is the size necessary for holding only the desired portion of said liquid material with said suspended material therein for disposal on said inserted object any one time.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 10 in which said doctor blade and said agitator are formed of resilient material 4for the easy insertion thereof into the opening Aof said rst container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,793,012 5/1957 Wolf l5-510X 2,904,808 9/1959 Massman 15-5l0 X 3,209,387 10/1965 Lukesch 15--510 CHARLES A, WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

E. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner. 

2. IN CONTAINER APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR HOLDING FINGERNAIL ENAMEL HAVING A READILY SETTLING MATERIAL SUSPENDED THEREIN AND FOR DISPENDING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF SAID ENAMEL IN ITS PROPER SUSPENSED FORM UPON A BRUSH INSERTED THEREIN, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES AN OPEN-TOPED FIRST CONTAINER FOR HOLDING SAID ENAMEL WITH A NECK EXTENDING FROM THE OPENING THEREOF, AND A SECOND TUBE-LIKE DISPENSING CONTAINER DISPOSED THEREIN AND ROTATABLY JOURNALED IN SAID NECK, SAID SECOND CONTAINER EXTENDING FROM JUST ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID FIRST CONTAINER TO BEYOND THE END OF SAID NECK AND HAVING AN OPENING PROVIDING FLOW COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CONTAINERS AT A POINT THEREALONG ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL OF SAID FIRST CONTAINER, AGITATOR MEANS CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND CONTAINER TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID FIRST CONTAINER FOR MOVEMENT THEREAROUND UPON ROTATION OF SAID SECOND CONTAINER THEREBY AGITATING SAID SUSPENDED MATERIALS IN SAID ENAMEL, MEANS DISPOSED UPON SAID SECOND CONTAINER ADJACENT SAID NECK PREVENTING AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN, A CLOSURE CAP FOR SAID CONTAINERS, AN APPLICATOR BRUSH DEPENDING FROM SAID CAP, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID CAP AND THE TOP OF SAID SECOND CONTAINER WHEREBY ROTATING SAID CAP ROTATES SAID SECOND CONTAINER WITH SAID AGITATING MEANS THEREON. 